At least 59 Palestinians were killed and dozens injured when Israeli tanks fired on a crowd seeking aid in Khan Younis, Gaza, on Tuesday, medics reported, marking one of the deadliest incidents in recent violence.
The attack occurred on a main road in Khan Younis, where thousands had gathered to access food from aid trucks operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Witnesses reported two tank shells striking the crowd, causing chaos, with bodies and wounded left unattended due to restricted access for rescue teams. Nasser Hospital, overwhelmed, treated hundreds, many with gunshot and shrapnel wounds.
The Israeli military acknowledged firing in the area, stating it was investigating but claimed troops targeted suspects deviating from designated routes. The GHF, a U.S.- and Israel-backed group, denied casualties occurred at its site, asserting it distributed over three million meals without incident. Gaza’s health ministry reported 397 deaths related to aid-seeking since late May.
The incident follows a pattern of violence near aid sites, with similar shootings reported on June 1-3. The United Nations condemned the killings, calling the aid system “dehumanizing.” Gaza’s ongoing conflict, sparked by Hamas’s October 2023 attack, has killed over 55,000, per local health authorities, amid a deepening hunger crisis.
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